North East Herts MP Sir Oliver Heald has held a meeting with the chair of Royston Schools Academy Trust about the schools merger, ahead of more details of the move being announced next week.

North East Herts MP Sir Oliver Heald has been briefed on the move by RSAT chair Carol Boston and Greneway head Laura Rawlings.

RSAT plans to merge middle schools Greneway and Roysia with Meridian School, becoming one school catering for Year 5 through to Year 13 from September 2018.

Royston county councillors Fiona Hill and Steve Jarvis were also at the meeting where RSAT chair Carol Boston gave a presentation to Sir Oliver and current Greneway headteacher Laura Rawlings, who was on hand to answer questions.

Sir Oliver said: “I asked for assurances that students would not find their courses disrupted and that sixth formers would be able to complete their current courses.

“I was told these assurances could be given and that the aim was to produce a school with an excellent rating, building on the successes of the three existing schools which are all rated good with aspects of excellence.

“Many parents have contacted me concerned that their children’s education should not be disrupted and particularly that the merger would not lead to sixth formers having to change their courses. It was made clear that they were not intending to disrupt education for the children and that all sixth formers would be able to complete their existing courses.

“I will continue to press the case for parents and look forward to hearing the full details of the proposals.”

An evening of meetings took place two weeks ago for parents of children affected by the merger.

At the meeting, the RSAT panel said that having parents’ feedback on what the schools did well and what didn’t work so well – as well as putting any questions they had to the panel – was “invaluable” to help shape the new school.

A spokeswoman for RSAT – which was formed in 2011 – said: “During September, we shared advance information of our intention to bring together the three existing schools in RSAT, to create one through school – Year 5 to 13.

As promised, we can now confirm that the full proposal will be published and shared no later than October 20. The proposal will be subject to a full consultation period, details of which will accompany the publication.”